Vic secret and ??? for APA

[Redtab78]

Just curious if anyone has mixed Vic Secret with any other hops and been successful? I have searched and read a lot of "yeah i love those" etc, but nothing really in the way of pairings or results.

From what I know, they are a milder version of galaxy, and seem to be good as a dry hop, so I was thinking of maybe pairing them with perhaps Pacifica (Pacific hallertauer) but I'm not so sure, so any help would be appreciated.

 

[Redtab78]

really, no one has used these that can comment on a pairing or "I would have used them only in dry hop " etc?

 

[kristiismean]

I'd probably use them in a beer of some sort....


I would pair with other citrus hops in a late addition or dry hop. amarillo, simcoe, citra, galaxy

 

[Dcpcooks]

Galaxy worked really well in an IPA with Vic's secret. Galactic *******!

 

[Redtab78]

I'd probably use them in a beer of some sort....


I would pair with other citrus hops in a late addition or dry hop. amarillo, simcoe, citra, galaxy

Thank you....but why would you pair with other citrus hops, do you have any tastings or experiences with them being paired this way, or are you just commenting as to what you think would work well?

 

[tjosborne]

Look up Avery raja. I'm gonna do a clone of this in about a month. This beer is amazing.View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1487882400.051159.jpg

 

[Redtab78]

That does look interesting, but that is a DIPA, im shooting for more of a pale ale....something around 30-40 ibu, and about 5-6% with a slight malt backbone....my grain bill is settled at
9# 2 row
1# vienna
.5 carapils

I was thinking after reading more and more about using all pacifica or cascade at 20,10,5 and then the vic secret at 0 and dry hop....i have found a few post in the www about those combos, but no post after about how it turned out.

 

[lasultana]

I just bottled an IPA with Amarillo/Simcoe Whirlpool and Amarillo/Simcoe/Vic Dry. Smelled awesome while bottling.

 

[Redtab78]

I just bottled an IPA with Amarillo/Simcoe Whirlpool and Amarillo/Simcoe/Vic Dry. Smelled awesome while bottling.

Id be interested in hearing the results of this. Just curious, why did u pair with Amarillo and simcoe, did u find that it worked well with those 2, or was it more of an experiment? Im pretty much convinced i will just dry hop with the vic secret now after reading a few stories of off flavors like grass and the such.....so im down to either just pacifica in the boil or motueka/rwaka combo

 

[kristiismean]

Thank you....but why would you pair with other citrus hops, do you have any tastings or experiences with them being paired this way, or are you just commenting as to what you think would work well?

It's simply because I don't like a contrast between grassy hops and citrus hops since I am not experienced enough to layer the levels to find a nice balance.

By late addition and dry hopping with other citrus hops, (I generally 1/2 citra for other hops, since it shines through) I find it easy to have a complex citrus powered aroma and taste hit without being dank.

 

[Redtab78]

welp, just kegged an APA using warrior, pacifica and vic secret (dry hop only)and let me just say.....this combo WORKS!!! out of the secondary, I am getting an orange/citrus aroma, with flavors of some mango, a little pineapple, and very very slight resin (although this could also be citrus as I am not THAT versed in a strong resin smell).

I am going to brew the exact same recipe using everything the exact same, except I will use citra in place of the pacifica and see what the difference holds

 

[DemonsRun]

I did an IPA with Vic Secret and Kohatu, went fast.

Kohatu: Pleasant tropical fruit, showing bright lime and pineapple with traces of pine.

 

[Redtab78]

I did an IPA with Vic Secret and Kohatu, went fast.

Kohatu: Pleasant tropical fruit, showing bright lime and pineapple with traces of pine.

I was tossing up the idea of using Motueka instead of the pacifica, but I thought the Motueka would have been to "limey", glad to hear that it works good with that character, how did you use the Vic secret, as a dry hop, whirlpool, or??

 

[DemonsRun]

I was tossing up the idea of using Motueka instead of the pacifica, but I thought the Motueka would have been to "limey", glad to hear that it works good with that character, how did you use the Vic secret, as a dry hop, whirlpool, or??

this was for a 3.5 gallon batch

Warrior @ 60min
.75oz Kohatu @ 15min
1oz Vic & .5oz Kohatu @ 5min
1oz Vic & .5oz Kohatu @ 0min
2oz Vic & .5oz Kohatu whirlpool @170F for 45 min

Vic & Kohatu Dryhop

 

[Redtab78]

oh wow, you loaded up on the vic. I didn't use any vic secret in the boil on mine, just warrior to bitter, .5oz pacifica at 10, 5 then 1oz at flameout with a small steep/whirlpool of about 15 min then chilled, and used 2.75oz of the vic by itself in the secondary for 5 days

 

[Redtab78]

Ok, I figured since this beer is kegged and tapped now I would provide some feedback on the Vic Secret hops in case anyone else is searching for idea's.
I used the malt bill in post 7, for the hops I went with .5oz Pacifica at 10 and 5, and then 1oz at flame out, fermented with Vermont (conan) ale from the yeast bay in a 1L starter from a stir plate, chilled for 3 days and decanted prior to pitching. Chilled wort to 50°F and pitched when wort rose back up to 65°F. Dry hopped this 5 gallon batch with 2.75oz of Vic Secret

One day 2 after kegging and carbing:
Aroma:
Initially I get hit with a very pungent smell of tropical fruit, the #1 fruit smell is Mango's (heavy!!) some pineapple and most of the citrus grapefruit/orange smell has subsided, very faint smell of grass (but you really have to think hard to place the unique aroma it gives off).

Flavor:
MANGOS!!! this hop is super tropical, I immediately though that think if I was to brew it again, I with DEF add some citra, or maybe Amarillo or cascade as I feel like it would kind of offset the initial hit the Vic secret gives off and balance the fruit flavor somewhat.


Day 6 after kegging, everything has really settled down, I still get the nice fruity/tropical aroma and flavors however they are now about 1/2 as intense as they initially were. The combo of the Pacifica worked really well, and I am sure that Centennial would have been just as good in the boil to pair with this, and I don't think I would add the Amarillo or Citra that I initially thought either, just straight centennial and the vic secret. The very slight malt backbone of the grainbill shines through nicly and if I had to rate this beer on a scale of 1-10, I think it would be a good solid 8.

Since I still have a lot of the Vic secret left, I am going to brew this again using the same grain bill and mash temps and use centennial in the boil (trying to get the IBU to about 35 again), and I may tone down the dry hop to 2oz of just the vic secret.

 

[duelerx]

Just stumbled your post because i will also use pacifica and vic secret combo, thanks for your feedback!.

 

[kristiismean]

I am just getting ready to use Pacifica as well, but using Ella with a basic grainbill.